Utica College moving online courses downtown

Utica College is moving downtown — the online version, that is.

With the help of a $250,000 state grant, Utica College is leasing two floors of the Harza building at 175-183 Genesee St. to expand its online courses, bringing about 50 jobs to downtown over the next five years.

With the help of a $250,000 state grant, Utica College is leasing two floors of the Harza building at 175-183 Genesee St. to expand its online courses, bringing about 50 jobs to downtown over the next five years.

The move is good thing for the building, the college and the city’s downtown area, said Utica College President Todd Hutton.

“Our goal is to expand rapidly, adding two to five programs per year over the next five years,” he said. “If the core of the city thrives, the entire city thrives.”

In August, Tom Clark Jr., owner of the Adirondack Bank Building next door, bought the mostly vacant building for $250,000 from the city.

Clark received a 20-year payment-in-lieu-of-taxes agreement, and the state’s Empire State Development Corp. agreed to forgive a $3.5 million mortgage on the building.

Clark, who was the first chairman of Utica College’s Board of Trustees after the college separated from Syracuse University, graduated from UC in 1965. He also donated money to help build new athletic facilities.

After he learned the college was looking to expand its online division, he reached out to college officials, Clark said.

“I know first-hand what a Utica College education means,” he said. “This is the area’s business hub as I’ve always said. It’s a positive to have people working down here.”

The move will bring 27 current jobs downtown by March, and the college expects the future expansion to bring up to 25 new jobs.

The center will be located on the fourth and fifth floors of the six-story building, leaving only the first two floors without a tenant.

Some of the potential new online programs include degrees in nursing, homeland security emergency preparedness, health care and others, Hutton said.

“We’re leaving it open to the development of other programs,” he said.

The college has 1,300 online students but hopes to triple that to 4,000 in the next seven years.

Utica College will have to match the state’s grant and will spend the money on renovations, furniture and equipment, wiring and a new sign for the building.

“You’re going to see Utica College’s name on this building,” Hutton said.

According to a budget breakdown, renovations should be completed by spring.

The move should encourage more businesses to look to downtown Utica, said Ken Tompkins, the Empire State Development Regional director.

“This means the former ‘Busy Corner’ can become busy again,” he said.

After the news conference, Clark was coy about his plans for the rest of the building.

“There are some things in the works,” he said. “Let’s just say I want to make sure that the state and county office workers are healthy.”